Assessing the Effectiveness of a Pharmacist-delivered Smoking Cessation Program in the State of Qatar

Thirty seven percent of adult male population smoke cigarettes in Qatar. The Global Youth Tobacco Survey also stated that 13.4% of male school students aged 13 to 15 years in Qatar smoke cigarettes. Smoking cessation is a key to reducing smoking related diseases and deaths. Health care providers are in an ideal position to encourage smoking cessation. Pharmacists are the most accessible health care providers and are uniquely situated to initiate behavior change among patients. Many western studies have shown that pharmacists can be successful in helping patients quit smoking. Studies demonstrating the effectiveness of pharmacist delivered smoking cessation programs are lacking in Qatar. This proposal aims to test the effect of a structured smoking cessation program delivered by trained ambulatory pharmacists in Qatar. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial will be conducted at 8 ambulatory pharmacies in Qatar. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive a 4-session face-to-face structured patient-specific smoking cessation program conducted by the pharmacist or 5 to 10 minutes of unstructured brief smoking cessation advice given by the pharmacist. Both groups will be offered nicotine therapy if feasible. The primary outcome of smoking cessation will be confirmed by exhaled carbon monoxide test at 12 months. If proven to be effective, this smoking cessation program will be considered as a model that Qatar and the region can apply to decrease smoking burden.